The One to Count On...

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The Marion County Sheriff’s Office aided the South Central Iowa Drug Task Force and the Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement in an investigation on a Williamson man who was found guilty by a U.S. District Court jury for conspiracy to manufacture methamphetamine.

46 year-old Michael Byron Abrahamson was arrested on August 8th after officers with the South Central Iowa Drug Task Force seized numerous items related to the manufacturing of methamphetamine during a search of his residence. According to the U.S. Department of Justice, Abrahamson was indicted by the federal grand jury on December 15th after evidence indicated that he was manufacturing meth at his residence on a weekly basis from April of 2009 through August of 2010. Abrahamson used the assistance of numerous friends to acquire the necessary pseudoephedrine tablets from stores in the area to manufacture more than 50 grams of meth. Evidence also indicated that he then distributed the drug to his friends in exchange for this assistance and used the remainder of the product for his own personal use.

Abrahamson testified that he did, in fact, manufacture the drug with his friends but claimed it was legal for him to do so because he was an “ultimate user” of the controlled substance.

According to Iowa code an “ultimate user” is defined as “a person who lawfully possesses a controlled substance for their own use, for the use of a member of their household or for administering to an animal owned by the person or a member of their household”.

After approximately 30 minutes of deliberations a jury in the United State District Court in the Southern District of Iowa found Abrahamson guilty.

Judge Ronald E. Longstaff ordered him to be remanded to the United States Marshal’s custody pending sentencing.